Bullying takes twisted turn for the worse

Oakland first-grader Zachary Cataldo suffered a skull fracture when a fifth-grader allegedly slammed him against a tree in April as he waited to be picked up after school at Piedmont Avenue Elementary.

Novato middle-school student Olivia Gardner was bullied so mercilessly after having had an epileptic seizure at school that her mother transferred her to another school – twice.

Thirteen-year-old Missouri eighth-grader Megan Meier committed suicide in 2006 after she was victimized by an Internet hoax designed to humiliate her. Lori Drew, 49, a neighbor who allegedly collaborated with her daughter and a teenage employee to create a fictional boy to pursue and then reject Megan on the social networking Web site MySpace, was indicted in May for violating federal computer hacking laws.

These recent headline-grabbing stories show a range of bullying behavior, from physical violence to a campaign of insults and intimidation to cyber-bullying, the latest method of bullying; Internet-aided, it can be used to manipulate, embarrass, harass, smear, taunt or threaten a student or stir up hate anonymously.

“(Cyber-bullying) has taken bullying to a whole other level,” said Rhonda Fugazi, a psychotherapist and school counselor at San Francisco’s Ecole Notre Dame des Victoires. “It’s easy, and it’s anonymous.”

Comments 1

When i was a small girl—i was a bully and i was bullied. Bully because i used to fight with boys, wrestle and physically hurt them. Then, i was bullied by 1 person making everyone vote against me as a friend. For almost a year, 500 other grade 3 students choose her and not to play with me. I was alone during breaks, no friends, no one to talk to, in class no one wants to listen and talk to me except my teacher. I was alone the whole time. And then, i learn there was something wrong with my behavior. I spent my breaks praying that i will change and learn what is the right way to do things. I observe good behavior and started practicing them. The next year I changed and gained back the friendship of the rest who voted for her.

Now the issue is where it came from: Culture—family reaction to life, movies, society.

How not to be a bully: 1. Learn the difference between the 2–what is a bully and what is it not 2. Learn options of good/better/best behavior in the situation 3. Communicate feelings

Weekly Newsletter

Please follow & like us :)

Take our surveys for educators and parents

Archives

Archives

What Will Matter Poem by Michael Josephson

About Us

The mission of the Josephson Institute is, “To improve the ethical quality of society by changing personal and organizational decision making and behavior.” In this space Michael Josephson and the Center for Policing Ethics faculty will provide expert insights and resources to promote professional development and leadership effectiveness of executives and managers and create an ethical business culture which enhances morale, growth, and profitability while reducing risks of costly and reputation damaging lawsuits and scandals.